Ralph’s West Coast Location, Arthur Ashe’s Creative Director, Bucherer Links With Sotheby’s – WWD

RALPH’S SPOT: For his first West Coast runway show, Ralph Lauren revealed he will be holding his spring 2023 event at the expansive Huntington Museum and Gardens just outside Los Angeles in a well-to-do suburb.

The Oct. 13 evening show will highlight both the men’s and women’s collections, according to a statement from Ralph Lauren Corp. No further details were revealed except to say the fashion experience will be uniquely Ralph Lauren.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, as it is formally called, encompasses 120 acres in the tony suburb of San Marino and comprise the former estate of railroad baron Henry Huntington and his wife, Arabella. The vast botanical collection spanning the complex includes a Japanese garden, a Chinese garden, a large rose garden and the Shakespeare garden with plants cultivated in England during William Shakespeare’s time.

The former Huntington mansion, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is now filled with artwork, including Thomas Gainsborough’s “The Blue Boy” and Thomas Lawrence’s “Pinkie.”

Lauren’s last fashion show in March was held in a museum, too. At the Museum of Modern Art in New York, a gallery was transformed into a replica of the designer’s Fifth Avenue apartment and guests were invited to see his fall 2022 collection. It was Lauren’s first show in three years.

Ralph Lauren has been in the news lately for creating three different bridal gowns for Jennifer Lopez, who, in a more formal second wedding ceremony this month, married fellow actor Ben Affleck at his 87-acre compound on Hampton Island Preserve in Georgia.

Southern California in recent years has been the site for several designer fashion shows that normally would have taken place in New York or Europe. The temperate climate is perfect for outdoor runway shows. The number of Hollywood celebrities who live in the area make for a star-filled audience.

In May, Louis Vuitton designer Nicholas Ghesquière chose the seaside Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., as the location to unveil his resort 2023 collection, capturing stunning looks among the Brutalist architecture highlighted at sunset. That same month, Dior’s men’s artistic director Kim Jones closed down part of Venice Beach to show the brand’s men’s resort collection.

Last November, Gucci closed off part of Hollywood Boulevard and staged a show in the street in front of the 1920s-era El Capitan theater, unveiling the Italian company’s spring 2022 rtw collection.

Walking the show were celebrities including Jared Leto, Macauley Culkin and Naomi Campbell. In the audience were entertainment stars including Billie Eilish, Diane Keaton, Salma Hayek, Serena Williams, Tracee Ellis Ross and Sienna Miller. — DEBORAH BELGUM

JOINING ASHE: Jack Carlson is one busy guy.

Not only is he the cofounder and creative director of the buzzy brand Rowing Blazers, but he’s also creative director of Warm & Wonderful, Gyles & George and Arc En Ciel by LeSportSac. And now, Carlson has turned his sights to the tennis market as creative director of the Arthur Ashe brand.

Carlson has teamed with Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the Arthur Ashe estate, along with Kith alum Karl-Raphael Blanchard, on a new tennis and lifestyle brand named after the legendary athlete. Ashe was the first Black man to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, and was also a champion for civil rights at home and abroad. He also was a style setter.

“You have Fred Perry, a British tennis lifestyle brand named after Fred Perry. And Lacoste, a French brand dedicated to the legacy of René Lacoste. But there hasn’t been an American equivalent. Who better to represent the United States than Arthur Ashe,” Carlson said. “Arthur Ashe has been a hero of mine for a long time. His icy cool demeanor, effortless style, scholarly approach to sport, his will to win and determination to stand up for social justice all resonate with me deeply. The opportunity to work to create this brand has been a dream come true.”

Later in his playing career, Ashe had his own apparel brand, but after he retired, that was discontinued as he focused more on health initiatives, Carlson said.

Blanchard said the brand is intended to “commemorate one of our Black heroes who encapsulated style and grace on and off the court.” He was known for his clean-cut aesthetic in his early years that morphed into more-flashy styles in the ’70s.

The Arthur Ashe collection will include athletic apparel and leisurewear for men and women, including tennis polos, shorts, skirts, sweats, T-shirts, knitwear and accessories — all intended to celebrate Ashe’s style. It includes a reproduction of the U.S. Davis Cup team warmup suit he wore during the award ceremony at Wimbledon in 1975. Prices will range from $25 to $265 and a portion of the proceeds will go to the Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund at UCLA (Ashe’s alma mater), and Social Change Fund United, a nonprofit organization created by NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade to support issues impacting the Black community.

The line will launch online at both the Arthur Ashe and Rowing Blazers sites as well as at two pop-up shops at 2 Rivington Street in New York City and on the grounds of the U.S. Open in Flushing, N.Y. — JEAN E. PALMIERI

TIME TIEUP: Luxury timepiece retailer Bucherer Certified Pre-Owned is linking up with Sotheby’s to bring its certified pre-owned timepieces to a global stage with Sotheby’s online marketplace.

“The partnership journey started in May 2020,” explained Stav R. Martens, Bucherer head of CX, CRM and commercial partnerships. “And we are pleased to join forces again to continue to engage our global luxury community and cater to new audience of art and fashion collectors. With the introduction of Bucherer Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) on Sotheby’s Online Marketplace, we are excited to present a curated collection of CPO timepieces next to one of the most impressive selection of art and luxury goods.”

“This monumental milestone marks a logical extension of our partnership, celebrating our independencies and our leading expertise within our respective industries. Building on a common vision of trust, authenticity and passion for pre-loved icons, we strive to share our story and those of our timepieces with a global audience of collectors,” Martens said.

Over the last five years, the watch pre-owned category has come into sharp focus, with a mix of digital retailers and legacy players leading the charge. Customers who once might have shied away from making a huge purchase online are now digitally savvy, and see online shopping as a viable option to find rare and unusual timepieces.

Sotheby’s marketplace offers more than 10,000 items across watches, jewelry, contemporary art, collectible sneakers, designer handbags, decorative objects, furniture and more, with international shipping to more than 70 countries.

Watch collectors worldwide can now purchase certified pre-owned watches, which have been authenticated, inspected and certified by Bucherer’s watch experts on the Sotheby’s marketplace.

“We’ve seen explosive growth in our watches category in the last few years, thanks in part to a new digitally native generation of global collectors, who are increasingly more comfortable purchasing online,” explained Josh Pullan, Sotheby’s head of Global Luxury Division. “Watches was one of the first categories we introduced to our online marketplace 18 months ago and we’ve continued to see demand at high price points in this format that are consistent with our core auction business. Our partnership with Bucherer allows us to continue to expand the depth of property offered and presents our clients with access to one of the largest collections of authenticated and guaranteed pre-owned luxury. As we continue our pursuit of creative and innovative ways to serve our clients, it’s particularly exciting that every Bucherer CPO timepiece comes with a two-year warranty — a next level of service and certification that no global auction house currently offers.”

Before the watches can be certified, the in-house watchmakers from Bucherer’s special team of experts open every single one and inspect it: Is the model an original? Are the technical parts still flawless? Are there any hidden defects? If necessary, the experts then maintain or repair the watches. In the final step, the watchmakers then attest to their work with their signature and Bucherer guarantees a two-year warranty.

Bucherer has 36 exclusive locations in Europe. In 2018, Bucherer took over the U.S. luxury watch retailer Tourneau, adding 32 stores in the U.S. market. — THOMAS WALLER